


belief

by justsleepwalkin



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Episode Tag, Episode: s06e07 Thanksgiving, Friendship, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 18:41:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12870681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justsleepwalkin/pseuds/justsleepwalkin
Summary: “You believe what you said?”It's not the first time Oliver's uttered those words to Quentin.





	belief

**Author's Note:**

> Trying to hit my word count doo doo..

“You believe what you said?” 

It's not the first time Oliver's uttered those words to Quentin. This time, he isn't sure if he's less calm about it than the first. Oliver’s palms are encapsulating the back of his head, elbows on the desk’s surface. The stress of Cayden James and the Anti-Vigilante Bill passing is wearing in on him, playing with his nerves. 

“Believe what?” Quentin asks, not looking up from combing through the files pulled from the SCPD courtesy of Dinah.

“About me having any kind of ‘good name’ to be cleared.”

“What, are you kidding me?” He laughs. When Oliver doesn’t say anything in response, he puts the files down and eases back in his chair. “You’re not, huh.”

“Not really, no.”

“Jesus, Oliver. You _really_ think I’d be here if I didn’t think it was worth it? If it didn't mean anything? I’d be off helping Agent Watson—I’ve been down the same road as her already.”

“She said I was a coward. That... I'm hiding in the shadows.” He can't ignore that queasy, familiar feeling that she's right. “And I tried. That's why I'm _here_. In this seat. Because you—” He trails off, pressing his hands tighter. “Every time I try to do things differently, I can't win,” he finishes. 

“You can't please everyone, Oliver. I don’t exactly think she’s going to come around the same way I have.”

“I didn’t think _you would_ ,” after everything, “so I don’t expect her to.”

Quentin laughs again. “Yeah, well, what can I say, your charisma gets under anyone’s skin.” 

Oliver drags his hands down and cups his neck. He stares up at Quentin. 

Quentin holds up his palms. “Come on. You’ve dealt with the task force already before, I think you’re good.”

“I was out in the field with them. I’ve signed their execution, Quentin. And these people—all of them— _they_ haven’t been in that firing line.” That was… a different team, a different time. Oliver swallows. A different Laurel. 

“What, do you not trust them?” Quentin snaps.

Oliver’s gaze hardens. “That’s not what I said.” 

“Sure sounds that way.”

Oliver stands, slamming a hand flat on the desk. “You _know_ what they’re facing, _you_ set it up in the first place!”

Quentin raises a brow. “You done?” he rasps. 

Oliver seethes. “I should be out there.”

“You can’t protect them forever. You _can’t_. And they chose this, all of them. You can’t make their decisions. I tried. Hell, I tried, _twice_. Both daughters. Sara's off in space and time now. What, Oliver? What do you want? Because you can't have it. James played you. The city voted. Your team's alive, your son's alive, the city's alive enough to even _have_ democracy.”

Oliver shakes his head, drawing his lips in towards his teeth, too many frustrations reaching through him, tearing him apart. 

“Quentin, I am going to be thrown in _prison_ soon," because that's the only reality he can see, the only ended for Oliver Queen, "and _all_ of that— _all of them_ —they're going to be left to the wolves. Them, you, this city, my _son_.” He breathes out harshly, fingers curling, knuckles white. “I needed that bill to be abolished and I have _no idea_ what to do now.”

Quentin watches him until there's a moment of silence, until Oliver's nerves keep him from saying more. He whispers, “Same thing as always, Oliver.”

Oliver looks at him. 

“Keep believing that this city can be saved.”


End file.
